Charles François Dumouriez

Charles-François Dumouriez
Portrait miniature by Pierre-Louis Bouvier, 1796/7
Minister of Foreign Affairs
In office
15 March 1792  13 June 1792
MonarchLouis XVI
Preceded byClaude Antoine de Valdec de Lessart
Succeeded byPierre-Paul de Méredieu
Minister of War
In office
13 June 1792  18 June 1792
Preceded byJoseph Marie Servan de Gerbey
Succeeded byPierre August Lajard
Personal details
Born(1739-01-26)26 January 1739
Cambrai, Kingdom of France
Died14 March 1823(1823-03-14) (aged 84)
Turville, United Kingdom
Resting placeHenley-on-Thames, United Kingdom
Occupation
  • Military officer
  • politician
  • diplomat
Awards
Signature
Military service
Allegiance Kingdom of France
 Kingdom of the French
 French First Republic
Branch/service French Army
Years of service1758–1814
RankDivisional general
Battles/wars

Charles-François du Périer Dumouriez (French: [ʃaʁl fʁɑ̃swa dy peʁje dymuʁje]; 26 January 1739 14 March 1823) was a French military officer, minister of Foreign Affairs, minister of War in a Girondin cabinet and army general during the French Revolutionary War. Dumouriez is one of the names inscribed under the Arc de Triomphe, on Column 3.

With General Kellermann he shared the first French victory at Valmy where the Prussian army was forced to draw back. He rapidly advanced north (till Moerdijk); before entering Holland he decided to return to Brussels when the French armies lost territory in the east of Belgium and the Siege of Maastricht (1793). He disagreed with his successor Pache, the radical Convention and Jacobin deputies, like Robespierre and Marat, on the annexation of the wealthy Netherlands and the introduction of assignats. After losing the Battle of Neerwinden (1793), he deserted the Revolutionary Army. Fearing execution, he refused to surrender himself to the recently installed Revolutionary Tribunal and instead defected to the Austrian army.